2016 Rewind: 5 Good Things...

Y'all. 2016 was ROUGH. Like, real rough. 

I could list several things about this year, but I won't. 

You know.
I know.
We all know why this year was the epitome of the word "struggle".

And yes, this year had lots of downs, but I want to focus on the ups...specifically, the ups in my own life. Yes, it might be selfish, but this is my blog, so....

5 Good Things That Happened for Me in 2016

1. I faced my anxiety head on. I had some help from my roommate who encouraged me (she told me...several times, like all the time, really) to go to the doctor to talk about the issues I was facing. It was not easy for me. Mostly because I am hard-headed and it took my body refusing to cooperate for me to take care of myself, but I did it. That counts for something, right?

2. I took a chance and chopped my hair off. This might not seem like much, but my goodness, I debated so much about whether or not I should. Let me back up and give you a brief history about my self-esteem and how my hair always tied into it:

I learned (by myself) at a young age that hair was important and that it should be loved and taken care of. I had a lot of it when I was young and my mom did her best to take care of it. When I got older, I got to decide what to do with it so I permed it (for those of you who don't understand- I put a really harsh chemical that straightened and thinned my hair) for years, BUT I always thought my natural hair wasn't desirable. If my hair wasn't long and straight (because the media told me that's how it should be) then I wasn't desirable. 

Can you imagine thinking that? That was every day for me. Good news is I know some beautiful, natural ladies that I admired for a long time. I learned to appreciate their curls and then I decided to chop my hair. I thought that I would look at myself and hate what I saw looking back at me and I had no idea how my natural hair would grow, but I took a chance and decided to chop it and in the process, I learned to love myself and my hair.

It's my crowning achievement for 2016, honestly.

3. I was courageous and brave with my feelings. Not gonna go into much detail because I don't want to, but I can honestly say that I am so incredibly happy with my decision to be honest with people about how I feel this year. (This goes for so many things.) I have some really awesome people in my life that appreciate vulnerability and honesty. They have made me better.

4. I found a type of exercise I LOVE. All of my FB friends and family know that I have been kickboxing and I absolutely love it. I was skeptical at first, but I am so happy my roommate urged me to consider taking the intro class. The people I workout with are awesome and the instructors are great. I always leave every workout happy and ready for my next class. I also get to punch a bag...that helps some. 

5. I led. Not only in the classroom, but in the workplace and in my region. It was not easy. I had moments where I questioned whether or not I should or could be a leader, but I did it. And I did it well...with a lot of help. Now, I look forward to getting the chance to serve in any leadership position that challenges me because it helps me grow. 

Here are some other highlights from this year...
-I'm having a nephew!!!!!
-I saw Beyoncé AND Adele in concert.
-My niece turned 3 and she's still as precious as ever.
-Two of my best friends got married.
-I was Maid of Honor at the wedding and I looked cute as hell in a suit.

I've learned a lot this year. I am still an anxious human being, but I feel like I have a handle on most things coming at me. I have a lot more confidence leaving this year when it comes to life and relationships. At times, I feel a bit of uncertainty entering 2017, but I'd rather power through.

2017, be nice to us. 
I'm begging you. 


Thanks for reading,

Reedah